Device, method, meter housing and agricultural implement for airflow assisted feeding of granular material in an agricultural implement

Abstract

This document concerns a device for airflow-assisted feeding of granular material in an agricultural implement, comprising an air inlet (1611, 1612), a material inlet (167), and an outlet (162) for material-laden airflow, a roof (163), the horizontal extension of which defines a material pickup zone (160), wherein the material inlet (167), air inlet (1611, 1612) and outlet (162) are connected to the material pickup zone (160), wherein the device furthermore comprises an air inlet valve (164) containing a valve seat (1641) and a valve body (1642). The valve body is rotatable about a geometric axis which is substantially perpendicular to a flow direction at the air inlet. The document also concerns a method for airflow-assisted feeding of material in an agricultural implement, a meter housing, and an agricultural implement comprising such a meter housing. It also concerns a frame for a material pickup module and a method for forming a meter housing.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. Device for airflow-assisted feeding of granular material in an agricultural implement, comprising:
 an air inlet, 
 a material inlet, and 
 an outlet for material-laden airflow, 
 a roof, the horizontal extension of which defines a material pickup zone, 
 wherein the material inlet, air inlet and outlet connect to the material pickup zone, 
 wherein the device furthermore comprises an air inlet valve comprising a valve seat and a valve body, 
 wherein the valve body is rotatable about a geometric axis which is substantially perpendicular to a flow direction at the air inlet; and 
 wherein the valve body has a first part which is substantially cylindrical and a second part which comprises a recess forming a channel across the geometric axis, wherein the second part can be aligned with the air inlet. 
 
     
     
       2. Device according to  claim 1 , wherein the material pickup zone has a substantially horizontal floor surface. 
     
     
       3. Device according to  claim 1 , wherein the material inlet is open in a direction transversely to a flow direction from the air inlet to the outlet. 
     
     
       4. Device according to  claim 1 , wherein the material inlet is open on both sides of a flow path from the air inlet to the outlet. 
     
     
       5. Device according to  claim 1 , wherein the roof has a downwardly extending wall portion, a lower edge of which constitutes an upper limit of the material inlet. 
     
     
       6. Device according to  claim 1 , wherein the valve seat has a substantially part-cylindrical surface. 
     
     
       7. Device according to  claim 1 , wherein the recess, viewed in a plane containing the rotational axis of the valve body, has a cross-sectional form which corresponds to a cross-sectional form of the air inlet. 
     
     
       8. Device according to  claim 7 , wherein the valve body has a protrusion which extends across the geometric axis and forms an extension of at least a part of the cross-sectional form of the recess. 
     
     
       9. Meter housing for airflow-assisted feeding of granular material to at least two distribution units in an agricultural implement, comprising:
 at least two devices according to  claim 1  which are arranged side by side, 
 wherein the outlet from each device is connectable to at least one respective distribution unit, and 
 wherein the roofs of the devices are situated at a sufficient distance from each other for the material to be able to fall down between the roofs of the devices and on to the material inlet of the devices. 
 
     
     
       10. Meter housing according to  claim 9 , wherein a floor of the meter housing forms a common floor for said at least two devices. 
     
     
       11. Meter housing according to  claim 9 , wherein the valve bodies of the devices are coupled together so that their rotations are mutually synchronized. 
     
     
       12. Meter housing according to  claim 9 , wherein the valve bodies of the devices have a common rotational axis. 
     
     
       13. Meter housing according to  claim 9 , wherein the roofs of the devices are separated by a gap which leads to the material inlet of the devices. 
     
     
       14. Agricultural implement for feeding granular material to the ground over which the agricultural implement travels, comprising:
 a central container for the granular material, 
 a meter housing according to  claim 9 , 
 wherein the meter housing is connected to the container such that material present in the container is fed to the meter housing by force of gravity, 
 a fan which is connected to the meter housing for generating an airflow to the air inlet, 
 at least two distribution units which are located at a distance from the meter housing, 
 wherein each outlet from the meter housing is connected to at least one of the distribution units via a respective channel. 
 
     
     
       15. Method for airflow-assisted feeding of granular material in an agricultural implement, comprising:
 providing a material pickup zone, the extension of which, viewed in the horizontal plane, is defined by a roof above the pickup zone, 
 providing an airflow through the material pickup zone in a direction towards an outlet from the material pickup zone, 
 feeding the material by gravity to the material pickup zone, so that the material slides into the material pickup zone in a direction across the airflow, 
 providing an air inlet valve comprising a valve seat and a valve body, wherein the valve body has a first part which is substantially cylindrical and a second part which comprises a recess forming a channel across a geometric axis, wherein the second part can be aligned with the air inlet; 
 turning the valve body about the geometric axis which is substantially perpendicular to a flow direction at the air inlet so as to control a flow area for the airflow to the material pickup zone, and 
 conducting the material-laden airflow from the outlet to at least one distribution unit.